The spectacular Sapphire Coast sparkles with charming towns, picturesque beaches and some great roads in between.

Road Trip: New South Wales South Coast

On paper this drive will take you two hours, but if you manage that you have impressive willpower.

If you can resist the temptations of picturesque (and surfer friendly) beaches, inviting cafes and quaint shops then you will make good time but miss out on one of Australia’s most interesting regions.

We start our trip in Moruya, a small town on the Moruya River, roughly four hours south of Sydney.

If you pass through on a Saturday it’s worth checking out Moruya’s famous markets, which offers up a variety of arts and crafts as well as food stalls to fill you up before your journey begins.

Following the Princes Highway south out of town you roll through some beautiful green hills that are home to plenty of cows, because this is a large dairy farming region.

After approximately 35 minutes the road heads towards the coast as you reach the town of Narooma.

It is a larger town that Moruya so there are plenty of shops to stock up on supplies at, if you plan on an extended stay in the region. Or if you just want a coffee, stop in to the Wharf Cafe to take in the views of the harbour.

Stay on the Princes Highway south for another 15 minutes before taking a right onto Corkhill Drive and follow the signs to Central Tilba.

Not only is Corkhill Drive a fantastic stretch of road that snakes its way up, down and across a valley, Central Tilba is a great little town to visit.

In fact, the entire town has been classified by the National Trust. It’s a throwback to the old days with timber shops selling everything from local crafts to tea and lollies.

Once you tear yourself away from Central Tilba, Corkhill Drive returns to the Princes Highway - but stay on it for only another minute before taking the left onto Bermagui Road and the coastal town of the same name.

The road into town is a nice drive and includes the rather odd sight of Honeysuckle Island, which is literally a car park in the middle of a lake. It’s hard to understand why they decided to build a car park on a tiny piece of island in the middle of Wallaga Lake, but they did and it is worth stopping at just because you can.

If the weather is good you can take a break at Bermagui’s beach and there are some nice cafes on the main street.

As you keep heading south on Tathra-Bermagui Road this is where the drive starts to get more engaging.

Turning away from the coast you cut through Mimosa Rocks National Park and the road climbs, falls and twists its way through the countryside. It is the type of road that you look for on these detours, as it’s getting you where you want to go but doing so in style.

After roughly 40 minutes you’ll cross the mouth of the Bega River and enter the beach town of Tathra.

While it made headlines in April for the fatal shark attack it’s hard to reconcile that tragedy with the postcard-pretty beach and surrounding headland.

There are some nice restaurants on the top of the hill in Tathra if you’re hungry for lunch at this stage; or you could grab some fish and chips and sit on the beach.

When it’s time to leave Tathra it’s also time to stop heading south and turn west to visit one of Australia’s most famous towns.

Few people may have visited Bega but anyone who has been to the cheese aisle at their local supermarket will know the name.

It’s an eventful 20 minute drive from Tathra to Bega but its worth the detour for two reasons. Firstly, you can visit the cheese factory and taste test some of its product.

Secondly, and more importantly for keen drivers, it is a gateway to some of the best roads in the region.

Head south from Bega and take the Candelo-Bega Road which turns into the Candelo-Wolumla Road.

It is a brilliant stretch of tarmac that runs along the ridge of the valleys, so it not only gives you great views but also follows the landscape to make it a challenging drive.

It will eventually pop you back out on the Princes Highway which gives you the freedom to pick your next destination.

You can turn north and go back through Bega on the Princes Highway until you hit the Snowy Mountain Highway, which you can follow back to Cooma and eventually Canberra along its testing variety of corners.

Or you can go south and head towards Eden and hunt for some more challenging roads closer to the Victorian border, such as Mount Darragh Road

And of course you can head back east to Tathra and pick up the road north again to re-live the journey on the way back to Sydney via Batemans Bay, Nowra and Kiama.

But whichever way you go don’t rush, just enjoy the journey.

The details

Where: Moruya to Bega, NSW

How long: Approx. 140km; allow a day.

Worth a stopover: Central Tilba.

Ideal car: Something comfortable and with a big boot for any shopping you pick up along the way.